ARTICLES ABOUT WORKER BY DATE - PAGE 3

The Department of Labor and Regulation will host a Rapid Response meeting for laid-off Northern Beef Packers employees at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Best Western Ramkota convention center, 1400 Eighth Ave. N.W. The meeting will inform workers about unemployment benefits and services available to help them find jobs. Both Karen and Spanish language translators will be on-site.

Northern Beef Packers employees began streaming into the Department of Labor office to file for unemployment benefits and look for jobs shortly after they were laid off Wednesday morning. Leydis Estrada and her mother, Rafaela Novarro, were two of 260 employees laid off. They filled out forms at the office at 11:30 a.m. Estrada had worked in the fabrication department on the rip line, she said. She helped cut meat into smaller portions before it was boxed. She was surprised about the layoff.

Northern Beef Packers laid off 260 workers Wednesday, leaving only six employees to watch over the vacant plant while it goes through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. "We were all called into a meeting at 10:30 a.m. and told that we were being laid off," said Jeffery LaCroix, who worked on the slaughter line. "They handed us a sheet that told us about filing for unemployment. They told us no other information. They said nothing about the checks they owe us. They did say they hoped we would be able to come back to work for them sometime, but they did not know when.

By Scott Feldman and Scott Waltman, American News reporters | July 24, 2013

Co-workers are mourning the loss of an Aberdeen man killed in an accident at a construction site Tuesday evening. A memorial service for Larry Huffman, 66, will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Ramada Convention Center, 2727 Sixth Ave. S.E. Huffman, an employee of Lien Transportation, was run over by a semi pup at a construction site in the industrial park, near the intersection of North Enterprise Street and Capital Avenue Northeast, Brown County...

PIERRE - The state workers compensation advisory council decided Thursday there should be a look at why the federal government reports more deaths of people on the job in South Dakota than state government does. Mark Anderson, who represents the South Dakota AFL-CIO labor organization, suggested the topic. Anderson said federal reports showed an average of approximately 30 worker deaths annually in South Dakota in the past decade. He said the number of deaths for the years 2005 through 2011 ranged from 22 to 37. That's two to three times more than the number presented by state government.

"Most people try to aim for us," said Josh Anderson, service assistant at the Moccasin Creek Country Club driving range. Anderson and other workers are responsible for retrieving more than 2,000 golf balls a day and taking damaged balls out of circulation. The range workers use their picker cart or collect them by hand, all while the range is full of practicing golfers. The "Behind the Scenes Aberdeen" video series introduces the ball collectors at the country club and shows some of the dangers they face.

A former state Department of Transportation worker was sentenced to two days in jail on a petty theft charge related to his stealing gas from the state. Jerry L. Wooledge, 56, pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge. With a no-contest plea, a person charged with a crime does not admit guilt, but is generally sentenced as if he or she is guilty. That's what happened to Wooledge, who must also spend a year on probation, pay a $284 fine and make $600 in restitution. The charge stems from Wooledge stealing 150 gallons of gas, 5 gallons at a time, while he worked for the Department of Transportation, a court official said.

In a moment of disaster, Aberdeen's Salvation Army's food truck is ready to respond. The truck is outfitted with a stove top, two refrigerator units, a flat grill and serving window for easy distribution. "We do want to make sure we have adequate supplies to get through the first 72 hours at a time," said Maj. David Womack, commanding officer and administrator for the Salvation Army. With the recent tornado disaster in Oklahoma, the truck has been put on notice that it might be asked to travel south, Womack said.

A new immunization policy at the Aberdeen Area Humane Society might cost a little more, but the benefits to the animals, shelter workers and their future owners are worth the extra money, said Carole Kiesz, a board member. About two months ago, the Aberdeen Area Humane Society changed its policy on immunizations and testing, Kiesz said. When that happened, the society also switched to a new veterinarian, Darcee Munsterteiger of the Northern Plains Animal Health Clinic. In the past under William Svenson of the Animal Health Clinic, an animal would not get spayed or neutered or receive all immunizations until it was selected for adoption, Kiesz said.

Three longtime employees with ties to the judicial system who are preparing to retire will be honored. Friday, Rick Neal and Mike Brumbaugh will be honored at a reception in Aberdeen. Neal has been a court reporter since 1977. Brumbaugh is the chief court services officer for the Brown County-based 5th Judicial Circuit. He's worked for the state since 1978. The reception will be from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday in the main courtroom on the third floor of the Brown County Courthouse.